Overhead door assemblies have been in use for many years for closing the door openings of sheds, garages and the like. There exists at least two main types of overhead door assemblies. The first type often referred to by the term "up-and-over door" typically consists of a single stiff panel. The second type is also most popular and is often referred to as "sliding, articulated or panel door". This second type includes a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels.
This latter type of retractable overhead doors is conventionally constructed of a number of vertically arranged horizontal panels that can fold along the horizontal divisions between the panels, thereby enabling the door to assume a rolled or folded configuration as they pass along a curved path before being retracted into or adjacent the ceiling of the building in which they are installed. The panels assume a vertically juxtaposed planar configuration when lowered into a bottom position to thereby present a solid face and closed door opening.
The stacked panels are typically provided with two or more hinge assemblies between each other. The hinge assemblies at each side of the door run in parallel tracks that are installed vertically on each side of the door and curved at the top before becoming horizontal parallel tracks, suspended from the ceiling of the building. Such doors are typically manually operated or can be automatically operated by using infrared or radio operated motors which pull the panels of the door upwardly along the tracks when the door is being opened and push the door downwardly to a closed position, when reversed.
Overhead type doors are generally preferred for closing relatively large door openings such as garage or warehouse door openings since they require lesser space for installation and operation thereof than conventional side mounted swinging doors that require sidewise clearance for opening and closing thus using up useful space. However, overhead type doors suffer from drawbacks associated with their inherent structures. Indeed, overhead type doors are relatively heavy and difficult to manipulate from the opened to the closed position and vise versa.
When operated through motors, they require a relatively considerable amount of energy. Also, the hinged nature of most conventional overhead doors inherently causes the latter to rattle or shake during opening and closing thus creating sometimes obnoxious noises. Furthermore, opening of overhead door inherently leads to a momentarily relatively large leak in the thermal insulation barrier of the associated building structure and, hence, leads to a potentially relatively large waste of both energy and money.
Accordingly, it would thus be highly desirable in certain situations to combine the specific advantages associated with both side mounted swinging and overhead doors while allowing an intended user to circumvent the disadvantages associated with both types of door assemblies. In order to combine the advantages of both types of doors and circumvent their inherent disadvantages, both types of doors would ideally be offered to a potential user. The intended user could then selectively choose either the side mounted swinging door or the overhead door depending on the situation.
For example, whenever an intended user merely needs to walk into the garage he or she would merely use the side mounted swinging door thus circumventing the hereinabove disadvantages associated with overhead door assemblies. However, whenever a relatively large access to the garage would be needed as for example when a car needs to be driven into or out of the garage, the overhead door assembly could still be used.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and structure for reversibly operationally dividing a door opening so as to allow for the installation of both an overhead and a side mounted swinging door and allow selective opening and closing of both types of door.
Conventional overhead doors are mounted to an overhead door frame which is incorporated into a wall of the building or garage. The door frame which is adapted to position and hang the overhead garage door includes a pair of vertical frame members connected to a horizontal frame member. The door frame elements are commonly welded together by the manufacturer and then transported to the construction or building site for incorporation into the building or garage. The garage door itself is hung from the door frame in association with a track or other mechanism for slidably opening and closing the door.
The door frames of this type are often fabricated from steel welded together that is manufactured and then shipped to the construction or job site. Consequently, the manufacturer must perform expensive and laboring intensive steps of welding and securing the frame elements to one another. Once constructed, the door frame requires substantial space for transportation to the job site being heavy and difficult to handle because of its steel construction. Furthermore, in that each door frame is assembled by the manufacturer, frequently when it arrives at the construction site modifications to either the door frame or the building into which it is to be incorporated are required due to damages during shipment or building design changes.
In that each door frame is assembled by the manufacturer, it is often intended for a specific type of door or application and later changes in building requirements or specifications result in the door frame being returned to the manufacturer while a different door frame is ordered and delivered to the job site resulting in construction downtime and costly delays. These type of problems associated with conventional and thus relatively simple overhead door frames would be compounded in the context of providing a dual purpose door frame that could be used both for a side mounted swinging door and an overhead door. It would thus be desirable to provide a structure that could easily be assembled at the job site
Advantages of the present invention include the fact that the proposed method and structure allows for the installation of both a side mounted swinging door and overhead type door in a common door opening. The proposed method not only allows for the installation of such a door combination in a new door opening but also allows for the conversion of door opening already provided with a single relatively large overhead door assembly.
The proposed structure is specifically designed so as to be readily mounted in a conventional door opening through a set of simple and ergonomic steps without the need for special tooling or manual dexterity. The proposed structure allows the door opening to be partitioned or sectioned while retaining an esthetical pleasing visual aspect. Furthermore, the proposed assembly provides a structurally sturdy and reliable guiding and supporting frame for both the side mounted swingable door and the overhead door.
Still further, the proposed structure optionally has built-in means for increasing the thermal insulating characteristics of the assembly. Also, the proposed structure is specifically designed so as to be manufacturable with conventional components using conventional forms of manufacturing so as to provide a structure that is economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
A still further advantage of the present invention resides in that the proposed structure can be readily unassembled when not required so as to allow an intended user to readily remove the side mounted swinging door components thus readily increasing the overall width of the door opening in situations when for example a larger vehicle needs to be driven in or out of the garage.
A still further advantage of the present invention thus resides in the fact that the proposed structure can be easily assembled by the installer at the construction site with a minimum amount of handling and without the use of complicated fastener mechanisms to maintain the frame elements in an assembled configuration.
The structure can be transported to the job site with a minimum amount of ease and easily assembled on the job site with a minimal amount of labor, materials and time. The door frame is adapted for use both in extension spring and torsion spring garage door applications.
In accordance with one version of the invention there is provided a method for installing both an overhead door and a side mounted swing door across a door opening for allowing selective closing thereof; the door aperture defining first and second door aperture side peripheral edges, upper and lower door aperture peripheral edges; the swinging door being provided with swing door hinges; the overhead door including a plurality of door panels hinged together along adjacent longitudinal edges thereof by panel hinge assemblies, the hinge assemblies having rollers rotatably mounted thereto and extending laterally therefrom, the rollers being configured and sized for running in corresponding guiding tracks, each of the guiding tracks including a track first segment and a track second segment; each of the track first segments having a first segment rectilinear lower portion and a curved upper portion, each of the track first segment being adapted to extend substantially vertically in a generally parallel relationship with the first and second door aperture side peripheral edges; each of the track second segments being adapted to extend from a corresponding curved portion in a generally horizontal orientation; the method comprising the steps of:
defining an overhead door section and an adjacent swing door section in the door opening, the overhead door section being sized for operationally receiving the overhead door and the swing door section being sized for operationally receiving the swing door; PA1 positioning a main post between the overhead door section and the adjacent swing door section with the main post extending between the upper and lower door aperture peripheral edges in a generally parallel relationship with the first and second door aperture peripheral edges, the main post defining a main post first longitudinal end and a longitudinally opposed main post second longitudinal end; PA1 firmly stabilizing the main post with a post stabilizing means; PA1 using the first door aperture peripheral edge and the main post as operational lateral edges for the overhead door; PA1 using the second door aperture peripheral edge and the main post as operational lateral edges for the swing door.
According to one embodiment (not shown) the main post is used for mounting the swing door edges. According to another embodiment the second door aperture peripheral edge is used for mounting the swing door edges.
Preferably the method also includes the step of securing one of the tracks to the main post and the other one of the tracks to the first door aperture peripheral edge.
Conveniently it also comprises the steps of anchoring a threshold component to an adjacent ground surface so that the threshold component extends across a swing lower edge segment of the door opening lower peripheral edge delimited by the swing door section and anchoring the main post first longitudinal end to the threshold component; whereby the threshold component is adapted to act both as a threshold-post anchoring means for anchoring the main post first longitudinal end and as a threshold for the swing door.
Preferably it also includes the steps of anchoring a header component to the second door aperture peripheral edge so that the header component extends across a swing upper edge segment of the door opening upper peripheral edge delimited by the swing door section; anchoring the main post second longitudinal end to the header component; whereby the header component is adapted to act both as a header-post anchoring means for anchoring the main post second longitudinal end and as a header for the swing door.
In accordance with the present invention there is also provided a structure for installing both an overhead door and a side mounted swing door across a door opening for allowing selective closing thereof; the door aperture defining first and second door aperture side peripheral edges, upper and lower door aperture peripheral edges; the door opening also defining an overhead door section and an adjacent swing door section in the door opening, the overhead door section being sized for operationally receiving the overhead door and the swing door section being sized for operationally receiving the swing door; the swinging door being provided with swing door hinges; the overhead door including a plurality of door panels hinged together along adjacent longitudinal edges thereof by panel hinge assemblies, the hinge assemblies having rollers rotatably mounted thereto and extending laterally therefrom, the rollers being configured and sized for running in corresponding guiding tracks, each of the guiding tracks including a track first segment and a track second segment; each of the track first segments having a first segment rectilinear lower portion and a curved upper portion, each of the track first segment being adapted to extend substantially vertically in a generally parallel relationship with the first and second door aperture side peripheral edges; each of the track second segments being adapted to extend from a corresponding curved portion in a generally horizontal orientation; the structure comprising: a main post having a generally elongated configuration; the main post defining a main post first longitudinal end and a longitudinally opposed main post second longitudinal end; the main post being provided with track attachment means for attaching one of the tracks thereto, the main post being also configured for acting as an operational edge for the swing door.
Preferably, the main post has a generally constant cross sectional configuration along its length defining a main post supporting section extending into a main post track connecting section.
Conveniently, the cross sectional configuration of the supporting section is given a generally hollow L shaped configuration defining a first supporting segment bending integrally and substantially perpendicularly into a second supporting segment; the second supporting segment, in turn, bending integrally and substantially perpendicularly into a third supporting segment extending away from the second supporting segment and bending integrally and substantially perpendicularly into a fourth supporting segment; a fifth supporting segment extending substantially perpendicularly from the fourth supporting segment in a direction leading towards the second supporting segment; the fifth supporting segment bending integrally and substantially perpendicularly into a sixth supporting segment that merges with the first supporting segment.
Preferably, the track mounting segment takes the form of a substantially rectilinear segment extending substantially perpendicularly away from the fourth supporting segment.
Conveniently, the first, second, third and fourth supporting segments are formed integrally of a unitary channel while the fifth and sixth supporting segments along with the track mounting segment are formed integrally of a generally L shaped channel.
Preferably the structure further includes a framed header extending horizontally between the door opening second peripheral edge and the main post for stabilizing the main post second longitudinal end, the frame header being fixed at a first longitudinal end thereof to the door opening second peripheral edge and at a second longitudinal edge thereof to the main post.
Preferably the structure further includes a threshold for both securing the main post first longitudinal end and acting as a threshold for the side mounted swinging door; the threshold component including a first threshold plate adapted to extend underneath the swinging door in register with the supporting section of the main post, the first threshold plate having a threshold-post anchoring means attached thereto for allowing releasable anchorage of the post first longitudinal end to the first threshold plate.
Conveniently, the threshold-post anchoring means takes the form of a generally L shaped first anchoring clip having an anchoring clip first segment mounted to the undersurface of the threshold first and a generally perpendicularly oriented anchoring clip second segment extending substantially parallel to a lateral edge of the threshold first plate for creating a first anchoring spacing therebetween; the first anchoring spacing being configured and sized for fittingly and slidably receiving a longitudinal end of the third supporting segment.
Conveniently, the threshold component is further provided with a second threshold component extending in a generally parallel relationship with the first threshold component; the length of the threshold second component exceeding that of the threshold first component so that the threshold second component protrudes and abuttingly contacts the outer surface of the track mounting segment; the threshold second segment having a track anchoring means attached thereto for releasably anchoring the lower longitudinal end of the track longitudinal segment to the threshold second segment.
Preferably, the releasable track anchorage means takes form of a track anchoring clip having a track anchoring clip third segment attached to an undersurface of the second threshold; the track anchoring clip also having a substantially perpendicular oriented track anchoring clip second segment that extends in a generally parallel relationship with the lateral edge of the threshold second segment, defining a track spacing therebetween for fittingly and slidably receiving the combination of the track rectilinear segment and the track mounting segment.
Preferably the structure further includes a third threshold plate adapted to extend parallel to the first threshold plate opposite the second threshold plate, the length of the third threshold plate exceeding that of the second threshold plate and thus to protruding laterally from the latter; the third threshold plate being adapted to be positioned outwardly relative to the swinging door when the latter is its closed configuration.